Our First Love

Rev 2:1-7  To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary.  

But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent. 

Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.

My church & pastor have embarked on a study of our Lord’s letters to the seven churches. These letters have always witnessed truth to my soul; I have often pondered them, gleaming much truth from Jesus’ accolades & admonitions to these church bodies. Therefore, I desire to pen a few specific thoughts on each of these letters. 

With regards to this first letter to the Ephesus church, it’s clear the apostles’ work there has paid real dividends in terms of doctrine & duty. They received & revered the apostles’ teaching & for some thirty years they have held to most of it firmly. 

But somehow in that period they let the most basic truth of the Shema slip away…

Deu 6:4-6  Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  

These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.

Jesus Himself affirmed this as the “great & foremost commandment” (Matt. 22:38).

Therefore, I desire to cut to the quick in this post and discuss some of my thoughts on the solution to this fundamental problem. Jesus summarizes thusly: 

“remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first”

Firstly, how do we “remember from where (we) have fallen”?  I believe, as with all spiritual failings, attention to Scripture is required here.  As my pastor stated, “Think about where you came from”. 

In other words, from whence did that “first love” originate? 

The answer comes from the same scribe, John, as the climax of his foremost letter:

1 John 4:7-10  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Here we see that God’s love for us is purely proactive, while our love for God is always & only reactive.

Many Christians, my past self included, have attempted to stir up within themselves a love for God upon considering the warnings of this letter to Ephesus, only to fail unto utter frustration. The problem is such carnal stirrings are an attempt to be proactive in our love for our Lord, when he has clearly shown that He, & He alone is source of our love for Him. We must see our love for Him as only a reactive response to His primary propitiatory love for us.

In such times, we must incline our eyes, ears, thoughts, & words to God’s primary ministerial means of grace: prayer & the study of His Word in order to revert our renewed heart to its first love. Then, & only then, will actual repentance & the works we did at first indeed follow…

2 Corinthians 5:14-15  For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

See, it is only in the process of sourcing Christ’s proactive & propitiatory love toward us that will cause a reactive love in us for Him and His church.

This rightly puts God back on the throne in our hearts, for He is first in everything that is good.

This is so important for to know & remember that John repeats it very succinctly a few verses later in his epistle:

1 John 4:19  We love, because He first loved us.

Fruitful Labor for Me

 Philippians 1:21-26  For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.  But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.  Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.

As a Christian, have you ever asked yourself "Why am I still here?" Have you felt depression or crushed by life's problems and pressures, desiring to simply depart the flesh and this world and be with Christ? Our faith indeed informs us to agree with Paul that such will be "very much better".  So why does God  compel us to so often carry such burdens when He could lighten our load or even remove it entirely by taking us up to Him sooner? Is not Death swallowed up by the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ?  

In regards to this passage consider a parable: Paul is as a husband who works late for a time in order to buy his wife a particular piece of jewelry that her heart is set upon. As he toils away for a time, he wishes he could just go home and find sure rest and contentment in her arms. He is assured of her love and knows she would receive him gladly. That would surely be better than all this excessive toil burning the midnite oil. But then he considers the joy of seeing her joy when all this extra burden has produced its fruit: that piece of exquisite jewelry he knows she deeply desires. Not only at first, but for many years to come he can envision her face looking at the beauty of gold and stone, then smiling and engaging him year after year. It is this vision which compels him to press on with this temporal labor, for such labor will produce a much deeper and longer lasting reward.   

Revelation 4:10-11  The twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,  “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul teaches us that God will one day judge your works. Your works that were from Him, through Him, and to Him, those works that He worked in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure, are the works that will come out of the fire as gold, silver, and precious stones.  But what of the works of wood, hay, and stubble? What of the seemingly good works you did from the flesh, through the flesh, to the flesh? They are burned up and you will "suffer loss". Suffer loss? What does that mean?

It means you will lose any glory of that much of your life's work, for such is only the flesh's vain attempt to glorify itself. Once again we must remember the contrast to these lost works; the works of gold, silver, and precious stones; these are not a testimony to us as much as they are a testimony to God and the great salvation He has wrought by the glorious works of His Son and His Spirit. For eternity, we will all be reflecting the glory of God back towards Him with our crowns of gold, silver, and precious stones, for, in the fullest sense, they are His works.  Truly, He "created all things", by His will "they existed and were created." 

Indeed, this is why you are called to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Verses 12 and 13 of Phillipians 2 should never be studied apart from each other, for they for only together do they fit into a right systematic theology.

To fear and tremble is to fear pushing away the work of Almighty God at His nearest proximity to you; the work He is striving to accomplish within you. To instead pursue works of wood, hay, and stubble is to first and foremost deny God His Glory. In this we find what means to "suffer loss". In eternity, our fully sanctified soul will desire one thing more than any other- to give glory to God. 

To find out we have lost some of what we thought to be the works of God, to reach for a crown that is not there in our holy desire to offer Him righteous worship is to suffer loss indeed...

1 Peter 1:6-7  In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The Crucible

Luke 22:31-34 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

There is much to provoke thoughts of of Jesus’ omniscience, sovereignty, & love in this passage...

His omniscience in His understanding of both Peter’s denial & his return.

His sovereignty in His ability to pray to assuredly facilitate his return.

His love in that He never fails to exercise His sovereignty over our situations.

But I believe His omniscience extends far beyond a simple understanding of the future. I believe despite Peter’s many past & present expressions of a deep, passionate faith in Him, Christ knew there was a major, fleshly flaw in his beloved’s belief.

We can trust Him... because of His complete knowledge of us. He “searches mind and heart”, He knows us better than we know ourselves.  “He… needed no one to bear witness about man, for He Himself knew what was in man.”

One fascinating thing to ponder in this passage is that Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail, yet only three verses later He emphatically tells Peter that his faith would fail! The “Bart Ehrmans” of the world, in their utter faithlessness, critique the paradoxes of Scripture in the most simplistic fashion & try to tell us to not trust the Bible because of such as these.

But the beloved are nevertheless drawn to God’s Word as true by the new creation within, being instead encouraged & motivated by its depth. 

The Bible reveals the glory of God, & His glory is great. So, it follows that the elucidation of such glory would also be great. We see & believe in God’s resplendent transcendence in part because it is seen in His Word. Like God Himself, there seems to be no end to the depth of the glory of Scripture; this thrills our soul, for it evidences it was neither composed by, nor about, an ordinary, simplistic God.

In regards to this passage, what’s also interesting is that the only thing comparable to Jesus’ emphatic declaration of Peter’s coming faithlessness is the Peter’s forceful denial of the possibility of his denial!  The disciple unquestionably refused the reliability of Jesus’ clear words concerning himself.

Now if his faith was truly & fully in Christ, he would never deny anything his Master says, yet here we have him steadfastly refuting Jesus’ distinct words. This action subtly reveals the carnal nature of Peter’s faith.

Today in the church, we have a movement known as “Word-Faith”. It teaches a didactic that has an individual's faith as the foremost cause of the direction & difficulty of his journey, instead of God’s constant omniscience, sovereignty, & love. They falsely declare “God doesn't give you more than you can handle, & if it seems like He is, then that is just a failure of your faith to speak your life into order.” The emphasis is continually on us to “speak” & “seed” great degrees of health & wealth into our lives.

This is so subtle, & the biblically naïve never catch it at first, but it is a false faith grounded on our words, our deeds, our strength, our righteousness. It is a Romish sort of faith, often even worse so, that relies on an imparted righteousness, wherein God supposedly delivers us the power to save ourselves by a faith & righteousness that is our own, in complete contradiction of Paul’s instruction in Romans 4 & 9. This sort of “faith”, being largely divorced from the life-giving glory of Christ & His substitutionary righteousness, is actually a dead, lifeless faith that results in a dead, lifeless righteousness, the filthy rags of Isaiah 64:6. Peter, to some degree, had this manner of faith...

He believed in his faith in Christ more than he believed in the words of Christ.

Our Lord omnisciently knew this, & out of love for Peter He sovereignly wielded Satan as a tool to destroy this weak, fleshly faith.

He gave Peter more than his flesh could handle. 

Yet, the text also says, “but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.”

What of this prayer of sovereign God that seems to witness the steadfast perseverance of the disciple's faith?

Even the most cursory reading the first ten chapters of Acts, as well as his two epistles, reveals the incredibly deep, passionate faith of this apostle…

Acts 4:11-13 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

The same guy that refused to confess any knowledge of Jesus to even a lowly servant girl was now boldly declaring Christ’s full glory to the very seat of all Jewish authority. This is now a true & deep seeded faith that he possessed, & it was not forged in the cold fire of man’s ability, but in the hot fire of God’s glory! Our God is a consuming fire, & He will, sooner or later, jealously consume all anthropomorphous religion, even (& especially) within His beloved. (Deuteronomy 4:24)

Though certainly Peter’s faith failed in one sense, a better, stronger, faster six-million-dollar sort of faith (sorry, I was raised in the 1970s!) roared back less than two months later at Pentecost.

1 Peter 1:6-7 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

I recently spoke with a dear saint who had recently suffered some trials. She said that when the Lord takes her out of this world, she hopes it would be brief experience; she didn’t think she could handle an extended illness that would result in a slow death. I told her of how Christ carried Peter through seemingly impossible trials & brought him out so much stronger on the other side, & He continues to do the same for us today. God & God alone knows our capacity for trials, & He alone is sovereign over these events, only giving us the “various trials” that are “necessary” & in accordance with His love for us, His beloved.

The Lord will never take us on a journey that will utterly destroy our faith in Him. His omniscient, sovereign love for us will never allow that, & in that sense He never gives us more than we, meaning our faithful new creation, can handle.

But also, out of that very same omniscient, sovereign love He will seek to destroy our faith in ourselves & our abilities, in the creation that is old & passing away, as that faith is false & futilely fleshly. In this way, He always gives us more than we can handle, to take the “we” part off the center stage & place our faith fully in Him & His rightful place on that stage.

Hebrews 12:5-8 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

Two Trees or One- Why Does God Not Care for the Wild Olive Tree?

Rom. 11:1-36  I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.  God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?  “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.”   But what is God's reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”  So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.  But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.  What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.”  And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.”  So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.   Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!  Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them.  For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?   If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.  Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”  That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.  For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.  Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.  And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.  For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.   And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”  As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.  For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.   For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy.  For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.  Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”  “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”  For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

It is vital to a right hermeneutic of Romans 11 to consider the central metaphor that the Apostle utilizes is the singular cultivated olive tree. If Paul held to a dispensationalist doctrine, then he missed the perfect opportunity to teach it, for in fact he references two trees. If he had such a mindset as Scofield, Chaffer, & Ryrie, he then should have pictured something to the effect of God turning His attention to the the cultivation of the "wild" olive tree to raise it up it for a time, then later after "the fullness" of  the wild tree would appear, He would turn His attention back to the "natural" tree.  In stating His work among the Gentiles in such manner, the idea of a separate "plan B", an entirely new dispensation, a wholly separate program of salvation- this would be manifestly clear, & we would all be dispensational. The Church & Israel would be explicitly displayed as separate from one another.

But the Apostle chose the utterly opposite metaphor- the wild olive tree is virtually ignored, & only its branches are accorded any worth; that only comes as He grafts them into His one cultivated tree, for as Jesus said to the woman at the well, "salvation is of the Jews".  In essence, Paul not only missed this supposed opportunity to teach dispensationalism, he in fact contradicted it! It is highly ironic that dispensationals reference this chapter more than any other to support their didactic of separation, for the clear message of the one tree is that we Gentiles are to be identified as essentially one with the remnant of Israel. Once again- distinctly separate branches- agreed! But concomitantly- these branches are fed by one root, through one trunk, to produce one manner of fruit; they are only separate in their distinctive origins, which are obviously to be only regarded as the former realities. God is not a respecter of persons, so former things play no role in His ministry to His one Bride in the future. 

There remains one part of the tree discussed apart from the branches- the root. The root is not explicitly identified by Paul; most dispensationalists identify as it as Abraham. Clearly, by such titles as "the father of us all" (Rom. 4), this primary patriarch, & the covenant of unilateral grace God made with him, must be seen as the means to the root's common ministry of mercy & grace to the branches. But should Abraham be pictured as the root or source of the grace that saves? I say no!  To do so disparages the ultimate Source of not only the mercy & grace that nurtures us, but our fruit as well. We call as our witness the words of John 15...

John 15:1-12  “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.  If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.  As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.  “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

We understand & agree that it the individual parables of the New Testament cannot be always synthesized into one narrative. Nevertheless, we press that if the root of the olive tree is to be declared, it must be essentially Christ, who is placed & ministered to in His central role by "the Vinedresser", towards the purpose of each branch producing fruit- to the glory of both the Vine & the Vinedresser. Abraham & his covenant of grace are present & they are central, but only in Christ. 

We fear pride is afoot here whenever man is put in the place of God. Such is the central apostasy of the church in Rome- with all the mediation of Popes, parishes, & dead saints- the glory of Christ is greatly obscured. It is not with their Christology that we dispute, it is with all the mediation that the Romans put between the sinner & the Savior that is the problem. It is subtraction by means of addition. 

We fear viewing Abraham as the root is a likewise concern, that there may raise up a proud spirit in the Jew, a spirit akin to the Pharisee that declares “Abraham is our father” (John 8:39).  If so, then the irony is deep, for Paul's desire with the metaphor of the root is to humble the Gentile, not exalt the Jew. Such a person would do well to revisit & ponder the previous chapters that state there is no essential difference between Jew & Gentile- that the previous distinctions are meaningless in the present & future kingdom of God.

Milk & Honey or Beans & Broccoli?

Rom 10:17-21  So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.  (18)  But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.”  (19)  But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.”  (20)  Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”  (21)  But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

Rom 11:5-14  So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.  (6)  But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.  (7)  What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,  (8)  as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.”  (9)  And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them;  (10)  let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.”  (11)  So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.  (12)  Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!  (13)  Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry  (14)  in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them.

Paul tells us at least one purpose for God’s drawing the Gentiles into the fold- to make Israel jealous. But would Israel be truly jealous if the Gentiles had something less than, or other than the Jews were promised? No child was ever jealous of his classmate’s lunch of liver & onions; pizza & pudding would be much greater reasons for jealousy. Likewise, we Gentiles would only draw the Jews’ interest if they could see we had the very thing they have always craved- the promise of dwelling forever in the promised land with the Messiah’s presence, peace, & protection. 

Mat 28:16-20  Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.  (17)  And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.  (18)  And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  (19)  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  (20)  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

In this passage, Jesus give His Jewish disciples an indication of what He would later do through them (Acts10), & the “abnormally born” Paul (Acts 13)- to teach “all nations… to observe all that I have commanded you.” Note the teaching was the same for the “nations” as it was for them. 

In contrast, note in Romans 10-11 Paul is addressing the Gentile disciples to witness back to the Jews with the evidence of  their possession of the promised Messiah that the Jews’ prophecies point towards. This portion of Romans is something of a Great Commission in reverse. The “nations” are called to witness all the teachings they have received, in a circular fashion, back to the nation from whom they have primordially obtained them.

If we indeed have such a calling from Paul, how can he expect us to make them jealous with the lesser or at least substantially different kingdom & Messianic relationship that dispensationalists insist we have? 

How can I compel my children to believe in the promise of pizza & pudding if all they ever see on my plate is liver & onions?

A Letter to Witness of Jehovah

Because of the pandemic, many are taking unorthodox means to engage others. One such interesting change is the local Jehovah Witness Kingdom Hall is now apparently proselytizing by mail instead of door to door. I received one such invitation lately; this is my response, with edits to remove personal details about my JW friend...

You are absolutely correct to have great concern for our eternal destiny & Jehovah’s central role as our true, final, & righteous Judge. But how are we to know this ultimate Judge & his edict for coming into his eternal presence? You are right once again to point to the Bible as our only ultimate source for revelation concerning his standard for righteousness.

The question then comes to the matter of a full interpretation & ensuing incorporation of the Bible’s teachings into our beliefs & practices. What does the Bible tell us to believe & do? I am somewhat older myself (in my mid fifties), & I have heard many a man teach John 5:19 & 30:

“Therefore, in answer, Jesus went on to say to them, ‘Most truly I say to you, The Son cannot do not a single thing of his own initiative, but only what he beholds the Father doing. For whatever things that One does, these things the Son also does in like manner.’ ”

“I cannot do a single thing of my own initiative; just as I hear, I judge; & the judgment that I render is righteous, because I seek, not my own will, but the will of him who sent me.”

It is a great thing to teach Scripture, but like anything, it must be taught in context. If, for example, I talk of a man pulling out a gun to chase down & kill someone it would appear I am describing an act of great evil. But if I give the greater context of this man as a police officer, & his supposed victim as someone in the act of murdering innocent children at their school, then I completely change the perception of this man & the nature of his actions.

Jesus’ teachings in John 5 are like that; because the greater context gives a wholly different perspective:

20-29 For the Father has affection for the Son and shows him all the things he himself does, and he will show him works greater than these, so that you may marvel. For just as the Father raises the dead up and makes them alive, so the Son also makes alive whomever he wants to. For the Father judges no one at all, but he has entrusted all the judging to the Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Most truly I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes the One who sent me has everlasting life, and he does not come into judgment but has passed over from death to life. “Most truly I say to you, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who have paid attention will live.

For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted also to the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to do judging, because he is the Son of man. Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, and those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.

The Jesus that declares verses 19 & 30 is no different from the Jesus of 20-29, & his teachings there should be given the same reverence. The understanding of a seemingly lesser Jesus of 19 & 30 must be contrasted by his clear teaching that all judgment is given to the Son. There he also teaches the very specific reason that the Father has done this- “so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.”

This is the critical question to ask yourself:

“Do I honor the Son just as I honor the Father? Or have I relegated him to a lesser status than the Father, as someone less than the Almighty, Jehovah God?” 

Remember the teaching- that the reason the Father gives all judgment to the Son is that we would not demote the Son to being someone less than the Father. The power to judge is the Father’s responsibility; for him to accord it to someone lesser than himself would be a great act of injustice. It would be as if a judge in our criminal justice system gave his robe & his gavel to the court bailiff to execute judgment while he went on vacation. Instead, the truly righteous judge would only give his great authority to another judge of equal status & qualifications.

Jesus’ teachings in John 5:19-30 are not impossible to reconcile, in fact, it’s quite natural to see Jesus as both submissive & equal to the Father, for this is often the natural state of affairs for us as well. I came from my natural father & he taught me & led me to be like himself. For these reasons I honored him by submitting to him, even & especially as an adult, for I came from him & saw his wisdom. As an adult human being, I certainly did not have to submit to him, for I too was human, of equal status to him in the eyes of our society, but in my eyes, I loved him, & therefore sought to honor him above myself at all times. We were equally human, yet I was submissive to him as the source of my humanity. And he likewise sought to cause others to give me the same respect that they would give him.

By embracing all the words of Jesus here, we should say the same can be said of Jesus & his Father. He was "begotten" of his Father, therefore he had the same qualities & status as his Father. Jesus was & is equally God, yet submissive to his Father as the source of his Godliness. Understand, in expressing this, he was fulfilling the mandate of the fifth commandment to honor his Father. He was honoring his Father, just as we are called to honor our father. And the Father likewise seeks to cause us to give his only begotten Son all the status of himself. 

 Again, that is the reason he has given all judgment to his Son.

To give more due to verses 19 & 30 than the verses between is like a restaurant that tries to sell you a hamburger without the meat. Those two verses are absolutely necessary to make a sandwich, but they are close to worthless without the “meat” of Jesus’ teachings in between them.

Note as well that Jesus also teaches that believing in “my word” concerning the nature of Jehovah to be the primary cause of everlasting life. The words of Jesus are life to our soul, & he gives in abundance here & elsewhere…

John 6:28-29 “So they said to him: ‘What must we do to carry out the works of God?’ In answer Jesus said to them: ‘This is the work of God, that you exercise faith in the one whom he sent.’”

Our works certainly play a role in our salvation, but they must be born out of true faith & belief in Jesus & his word, else they will be burned up as worthless wood, hay, & stubble (1 Cor. 3). We can never meet Jesus’ standard for us to merit salvation for he demands that we become perfect, even to the measure of the Father’s perfection (Matt. 5:48). It is only by believing in Jesus & his perfection, in the Son as the way, the truth, & the life, that we can come to the Father to have everlasting life (John 14:6).

You should note that I quote exclusively from the New World Translation. This does not mean that I regard it as a good translation, as it was done by elders of your church to try to render the many passages that honor the Son with a glory equal to the Father to mean something else. But in my study of God’s word, I have found this truth to be so conspicuous as to be impossible to hide, even when that is the obvious intent. Your church used the KJV for many years, but were challenged greatly every day by the thousands of verses that speak of the Son’s glory as Jehovah…

Psalm 2:11-12 Serve Jehovah with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Honor the son, or God will become indignant. And you will perish from the way, for His anger flares up quickly. Happy are all those taking refuge in Him.

I was raised in a religion which believed similar to yours concerning the status of the Son of God. I defended my beliefs with great resolve until I asked myself “What if I resolutely believe this all my life, & at the day of judgment I come into the Son’s presence with great hope- only to hear him say ‘I never knew you! Get away from me, you worker of lawlessness!’ ” (Matt. 7:23). I did not change my belief at this point; I only became open to the possibility that I was wrong concerning the Son’s full glory & prayed that God would show me the truth about his Son through the Scriptures, whatever that truth might be.

I ask with the deepest concern for your soul that you please consider this truth, for I believe that instead of giving witness to Jehovah, you are in fact denying him, by denying Jesus his status & pursuing an eternal glory by some means other than his righteousness & his work on that stake…

Acts 4:11-12 This is ‘the stone that was treated by you builders as of no account that has become the chief cornerstone.’ Furthermore, there is no salvation in anyone else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved.

The Peace that Surpasses

 Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Chapter four of Paul’s epistle to the Philippians lays a grand template for experiencing the peace & joy of Christ, particularly in times of trouble. It frames three means of engaging the grace of God, that when utilized in accord with each other and the vitalizing ministry of God’s gracious Spirit, will breathe fresh life into the window of the soul.

When the storms of life blow trouble into the portals of the soul, & they will- John16:33, the first means of grace we should access is prayer composed of worship and earnest entreats for Him to supply all of our needs in Christ Jesus. But, more so, Paul communicates our worship in prayer should be founded upon a joyful, faithful gladness for God’s glory & goodness. All our supplications have their basis in the faith that God in Christ has done great things, is doing great things, & will do great things in the future, for He is both entirely sovereign & wholly good.

“But my faith is too weak to maintain that manner of prayer, & I don’t know how to change that.”

We praise God because He never gives us imperatives without undergirding indicatives. With exceptions to the times God desires to stifle our pride (e.g. Job 38ff, Matt. 5:48), our merciful Lord never commands His elect to do the impossible. He doesn't expect or desire that we fill our lives mouthing empty, vain platitudes of prayer. If He wills worship, & He certainly does- Luke 19:37-40, then He will cause us to be willing worshipers.

The key to growing our faith in prayer & engendering the companion promise of an inestimable peace which will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus is found in the pressing on into the next two imperatives-

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

“Okay, I see the call to build faith by changing my thinking, but I can’t do that either.”

So the command to think of good things while feeling ensnared in the bowels of bad things seems to be yet another impossibility. Don’t be fooled here, this is no call to a Robert Schuller-esque positive thinking platitude. This is true religion, and that means true engagement with the Founder & Perfecter, the Alpha & the Omega, the first & the last, the beginning & the end of our faith- the Spirit of Christ. Jesus promised- John 14:16ff- that the Father & He would send this “Comforter” to us to abide in us forever, & through the wonder of the Trinity, He (Jesus) would also “manifest” Himself to us!

“Well maybe I’m not even saved, because I’m not feeling His comfort down here under all this trouble. I need something more down to earth”

The “down to earth” thing many of us are lacking here is, quite simply, the Bible. If we desire to experience the spiritual manifestation of the Comforter, there is no better place to be than this. This is the closest we can come to His physical manifestation before His return. Think about that- in the realm of the material senses, there is nothing like the word of God, except the Word of God!

Modern day “apostles” & “prophets” love to claim manifestations of His presence and the breathing out of prophecy, but we should retort that we have easy access to something far greater- a foundational testimony of true Apostles & Prophets confirmed by untold millions of believers over the course of thousands of years. Think about that- we have 24/7 tangible access to the very breath of Almighty God! (2Tim. 3:16) With God’s Word in our heart & His word in our hands, our thoughts & ways can come into accord with His thoughts & ways. We can carry it with us, we can put it in our pocket, put it on our phone, put it on our car stereo, or we can put it on a shelf & wonder why God seems so far away when we need Him most. The word of God is truly near you & you can fully assured it is in you anytime you take hold of a Bible & read it or even just listen to it!

“Well, I’ve been reading & praying God’s word a lot, yet I still don’t have this “peace” everybody talks about. I feel like the young rich man, who appears to be doing everything right, but still feels lacking” (Matt.19:20)

Yes, it may be with us as it was for that man, we lack only one crucial thing. Paul presses forward with a third fundamental instruction...

Philippians 4:9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Ah, the dilemma of the Christian who desires to practice his belief only in the sanctity of the soul. We are saved with Scripture alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for God’s glory alone. That puts the reclusive believer at ease, for it seems he can do everything “alone”! It is like a pandemic- it appears to be a paradise for the private person.

But as we press on with the word of God alone, we find this “paradise” fading away, if we read it with any degree of comprehensiveness & exegesis. Christ commands us “follow Me”, & we can, as long as He is headed up the mountain to pray in private. It’s when He comes back down to practice the purposes of prayer that many of us fall short.

We adore the faith alone & grace alone taught in Ephesians 2:8-9, but verse 10’s teaching that these are purposed for good works does not hold such a hallowed place in our heart. But right exegesis demands we consider that we are His workmanship. God has worked towards us in so many ways to cause our salvation; consequently, true sanctification is our likewise working outward with all that God has already worked inward…

Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Apart from this, we should not be surprised if we do not sense the presence of the God of peace, for He only promises a continuing peace to those who put into practice what they have heard & seen in Christ & the mature believer. At best, we would lack His comfort, but at worst, we may be judged as the ungrateful servant or the fruitless fig tree.

Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

The following prayer utilizes this basic framework of Philippians 4, with added supplications & rejoicings from Romans 8, Psalm 51, Psalm 1, Isaiah 9, Ecclesiastes 12, & John 4.

My God & Savior, may You bless me to lead me to rejoice in Your nature which You cause to dwell in me! I will rejoice in all things!

Oh blessed & only sovereign King, I know that You work all things together for Your glory & our good! What may be meant for evil, by any power, in all of creation, will be turned around for good for those called according to Your purpose, for You alone are Creator & all creation bows before You!

Therefore, my omnipresent Lord, knowing you are near, I will not be anxious in anything. Instead, I will bare the full depths of my heart, mind, & soul to You. Indeed, my omniscient Lord, You already know me better than I know myself, but in the pursuit of Your peace, I have seen that You delight in truth in the innermost being. My Father, may You plumb the depths of my soul to purge the old creation & flood with the new, for only then do I fully sense being purged & clean, washed & whiter than snow- as You work joy, gladness, & rejoicing to the full depth of all that I lay down before You!

So, Spirit of Christ, my Bright & Morning Star, this day illumine all You choose to make evident to your new creature in Christ. I will make everything known to You in these means of grace You have given- prayers, supplications, & thanksgivings. Dear Father, in this You deliver to me by the works of Your kinsman, the Prince of Peace, such of His dominion that it surpasses all carnal understanding! Oh glorious Lord, lead me to not only dwell, but also delight in the vastness of the truthful, honoring, just, pure, lovely, commendable, & praiseworthy aspects of Your Son, Your Word, & Your Kingdom, meditating on them day & night!

Wonderful Councilor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, & Prince of Peace- may we see the world as You saw it when You walked this earth. You saw everything as passing away, save the elect of God. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, all is vanity.

Lord Jesus- so You saw all of creation, save Your Father’s elect children. You worked for Your Father & for these alone. In the course of Your walk, there was much in the temporal to distract Your gaze from Your goal, but You refused to look away from the blessed culmination of Your work for the Father in Jerusalem. You refused to stop until You could say in that place “It is finished” & You gave up Your spirit.

Holy Father, may I be blessed to likewise have a portion of such determined vision for Your work. May I be blessed with eyes that see the work that You have prepared beforehand for me. May You fix my gaze upon Christ, & all that You have for me to accomplish in Him. My Lord, this can appear as a formidable goal, but I can do all things through You Who strengthens me.

This is the end of the matter- may I never depart from the fear of God & the keeping of Your commandments, for this is my whole duty. Pilate posed the query “What is truth?” Such irony- in that Truth personified was standing in his very presence! May I never be so blind! Only in worshiping You Father, in Your Spirit & Your Truth, through both word & deed, am I able to find the place of my purpose- the place where I offer my greatest praise & reside in righteous worship of Your eternal glory!